Family Engineering Night

Bring The Works Museum experience to you with a Family Engineering Night!

Family Engineering Nights are typically two hours long and run in open-house format. They work well as stand-alone events or as an addition to a family event, open house, parent/teacher conferences, or science fair. The Works Museum provides family engineering activities, all the supplies needed, and orientation for volunteers.

All you provide is:

  • Space in gym, cafeteria, library, or classrooms (or any combination of these) for activities

  • Tables and chairs

  • Volunteers or staff to facilitate activities (orientation provided)


All Family Engineering Night activities come with written instructions in English, Spanish, and Somali.

Small Event (75-125 people)

  • For a total of 75-125 children and adults

  • Three hands-on activities

  • Price range $300-$400

  • Educators will provide activity orientation for your volunteers, troubleshoot as necessary during the event, and pack up the activities

Great for libraries, community centers, special Scout gatherings, and other small events. This is a two-hour event, plus volunteer orientation prior to the event (3-5 volunteers from your organization are required). One educator from The Works Museum will set up activities, provide activity orientation for your volunteers, and pack up the activities at the end of the event. Each small event package has three hands-on activities, including one that will be a project students can keep and take home. Visitors typically spend about 30-45 minutes at this size event.

For a small event choose:

  • One make-and-take activity

  • One small build

  • One other activity

Medium Event (150-250 people)

  • For a total of 150-250 children and adults

  • Five hands-on activities

  • Price range $550-$750

  • Educators will provide activity orientation for your volunteers, troubleshoot as necessary during the event, and pack up the activities

Designed for groups of 125-250 people, this option is a great complement to an open house, family night, or science fair at your school. This is a two-hour event, plus volunteer orientation prior to the event (5-10 volunteers from your organization are required). One educator from The Works Museum will set up activities, provide activity orientation for your volunteers, and pack up activities at the end of the event. The medium event package offers five hands-on activities, including two make-and-take projects. Visitors typically spend about 60-90 minutes at this size event.

For a medium event choose:

  • Two make-and-take activities

  • Two small builds

  • One other activity

Large Event (300-600 people)

  • For a total of 300-600 children and adults

  • Ten hands-on activities

  • Price range $1,400-$2,000

  • Educators will provide activity orientation for your volunteers, troubleshoot as necessary during the event, and pack up the activities

Designed for groups of 300-600 people, this option works for larger events. This is a two-hour event, plus volunteer orientation prior to the event (10-20 volunteers from your organization are required). Two educators from The Works Museum will set up activities, provide activity orientation for your volunteers, and pack up activities at the end of the event. The large event package offers ten hands-on activities, including four make-and-take projects. Visitors typically spend about 90-120 minutes at this size event.

For a large event choose:

  • Four make-and-take activities

  • Three small builds

  • One large build

  • One water-based activity

  • One electricity-based activity

Family Engineering Night Activities + Descriptions

Make and Take Projects

  • Construct and launch a glider that flies an amazing distance.

  • Learn about sound and vibration as you make your own wind instrument that creates crazy sounds.

  • Investigate reflection, patterns, and symmetry as you build a colorful kaleidoscope to take home.

  • Build and test a miniature catapult to fling a projectile; test and re-design to make the projectile travel farther. NOTE: This activity uses low-temp hot glue guns, and takes about 15 minutes to complete.

  • These spectacles use light and engineered prism lenses that make spectacular rainbows.

  • Draw a figure or animal, then add joints to make the drawing into a moving puppet.

  • Experiment with new ways to create a flying paper vehicle that zooms across the room.

  • Weave sticks together to create an object that stores kinetic energy until it is thrown against the floor.

Small Builds

  • One of the most popular building toys at The Works Museum. Use these 4-sided squares to build elegant towers.

  • Use magnetic rods and steel spheres to make amazing structures that spin and interact.

  • Work with K’Nex pieces to engineer tops and improve them so that they spin faster, slower, or longer.

  • Work with K’Nex pieces to build figures using ball-and-socket joints.

  • Experiment with materials to make kinetic toys; test different components to see how they affect the toy’s movement.

  • Work in adult-child teams with limited materials to make a device that launches a ping-pong ball high enough for a team member to catch.

Large Builds

  • Explore traditional building materials, investigate construction techniques, then design and create your own life-size dwelling.

  • Work in adult-child teams to build amazing free-standing structures using two simple materials.

Water-Based Activities

  • Engineer with limited materials to make a diver that hovers in a container of water. NOTE: This activity requires water access and a non-carpeted floor.

  • In this floating design challenge, build a boat using assorted materials and test how many “penny passengers” it can carry. Then evaluate and improve your design. NOTE: This activity requires water access and a non-carpeted floor.

Electricity-Based Activities

  • Create circuits to power different loads such as buzzers, bulbs, and motors.

  • Create a circuit and experiment with different types of switches to control a light bulb or motor.